AROUND OUA: No. 4 Brock rolls past Thunderwolves in front of record crowd
ST. CATHARINES, ON - The No. 4 ranked Brock University men's basketball team rolled past the Lakehead Thunderwolves by the score of 84-51 Saturday night in front of a Brock University record breaking crowd of 2,887 in the first ever basketball game held at the Meridian Centre.
SCOREBOARD
No. 4 Brock rolls past Thunderwolves in front of record crowd
ST. CATHARINES, ON - The No. 4 ranked Brock University men's basketball team rolled past the Lakehead Thunderwolves by the score of 84-51 Saturday night in front of a Brock University record breaking crowd of 2,887 in the first ever basketball game held at the Meridian Centre.
The two teams were tied 7-7 early in the opening quarter, before Brock went on a 17-0 run to lead 24-7 with 8:39 left in the second quarter. The Badgers offense would continue to roll as they led 40-14 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Badgers extended their lead by as many as 35 points, on route to their 16th victory of the season.
Brock had four players in double digits led by Johneil Simpson (Toronto, ON) who recorded 20 points and five rebounds, highlighted by two electric dunks that got the crowd on their feet.
Ryan Bennett (Toronto, ON) contributed with 18 points and six rebounds while Nathaniel Gardner (Ajax, ON) recorded a career-high 13 points. Dani Elgadi (Waterloo, ON) added 14 points and 14 rebounds for the double-double. He also moved into 9th all-time in career rebounds surpassing Brock men's basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Moore, who was in attendance, along with many other Brock basketball alumni. Matt Marshall (Burlington, ON) rounded out the Brock leaders finishing with 11 points and eight boards.
Leading Lakehead was Bacarius Dinkins and Henry Tan who recorded 13 and 11 points respectively.
The Badgers shot 47.5% from the field going 29-for-61. They were also 50.0% (7-for-14) from beyond the arc and 59.4%(19-for-32) from the free throw line. The Thunderwolves went 19-for-67 (28.4%) from the floor, 3-for-23 (13.0%) from long range and 10-for-20 (50.0%) from the charity stripe.
The Badgers will be in action again on December 30th when they host the Redeemer Royals at the Bob Davis Gymnasium. Over the break Brock will also travel to Rochester to take on the RIT Tigers.
Source: Brock Badgers
Marauders used big second quarter to subdue Gryphons
Typical of McMaster-Guelph men's basketball games, it was a physical contest when the teams collided in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon with the Marauders defeating the Gryphons 99-77.
The Marauders got off to a quick start and jumped out to a 12-4 lead, before the Gryphons recovered and fought back to tie the game 24-24 at the end of the first quarter.
Giving up 24 points in a single quarter is something the Marauders never like to see, and they started the second stanza like men on a mission. Scoring the first eight points of the quarter, McMaster put itself back in front. But after giving up a basket to the Gryphons, the Marauders then went on an 11-0 run to take a commanding lead. The 19 to 2 run to start the quarter put McMaster in front 43-26. Guelph did show some fight though and closed the half with a rush to cut the deficit to 49-35.
The Marauders started the third quarter like they started the game, but with the difference of not allowing the Gryphons to respond, so that after 30 minutes the McMaster lead was up to 73-52.
Playing with confidence McMaster kept up the pressure in the final quarter and got the lead up to 30 before the Gryphons made a late surge to bring the score to the final 22-point margin of victory.
Leon Alexander dropped 20 to lead the McMaster scoring parade. Rohan Boney scored 18 huge points off the bench, while Troy Joseph with 16, Connor Gilmore with 14 and Aaron Redpath with 10 also hit for double figures. Guelph's Jonathan Wallace scored a game-high 21 to lead the Gryphons.
McMaster shot a very solid 52% from the floor for the day, while Guelph struggled offensively and made just 38% of its field-goal attempts. The Marauders won the battle of the boards 38 to 29.
The Marauders now enter the exam/holiday break with a 5-2 record and resume OUA competition on January 13, 2016 at the University of Waterloo.
Source: McMaster Marauders
20 point comeback gives Voyaguers slim win over Thunderbirds
The offense simply was not present for the V's in the first half. The team missed a slew of open layups and their plays fell apart all too often. This wasn't the case for the Thunderbirds. With a mix of quick drives to the hoop and good three point shooting, Algoma was able to amass 45 point in the half.
Whatever coach Shawn Swords told the team at half worked wonders. Led by Sam Hirst, with notable contributions from many, Laurentian rallied to outscore the T'Birds 30 to 14 in the 3rd quarter. The V's offensive onslaught and full court press seemed to stun Algoma who suddenly looked lost on defense and couldn't score to save their lives.
The 4th quarter was a much more balanced affair. Both teams exchanged blows as the lead change echoed a game of tug of war. Algoma guard Sean Clendinning hit a shot at the buzzer, one that would have tied the contest if it were ruled a three. However, the refs ruled that Clendinning's foot was indeed on the line, sealing the miraculous comeback victory for the Voyageurs.
Hirst led the V's in scoring with 24 points, while David Aromolaran was a rebound shy of a triple double with 15 points, 10 assists & 9 rebounds. For Algoma, it was guard Andre Barber who led the way with 21 points on 5 of 7 shooting from three point range.
The Voyageurs finished the first stanza of their season with a record of 2-5, good enough for 3rd place in the OUA's North Division.
Source: Laurentian Voyaguers
Laurier drops second consecutive game
WATERLOO, Ont. (November 28, 2015) - The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawk's men's basketball teams suffered their second loss in as many nights as they allowed the York Lions to rally in the fourth quarter and post an 81-74 victory on Saturday night.
Laurier, who led the contest for much of the night, could not keep York contained in the fourth quarter as bench player Nathan Culbreath of Kingston, Ont., went off for 31 points in the contest to help his team come-from-behind to earn the win.
For Laurier, Luke Allin of Chatham, Ont., and Will Coulthard of Oakville, Ont., once again led the offensive output as they each finished the game with 17 points.
Hawks rookie guard Simon Mikre of Scarborough, Ont., also had an impressive night, nearly finishing with a triple-double as he put up seven points, eight assists and nine rebounds.
Despite their loss, Laurier remains in first place in the OUA West division, still tied with Windsor, who mirrored the Hawks with two consecutive losses this weekend. Both teams hold a 4-3 record going into the holiday break.
Hoping to halt their two-game losing streak, the Hawks take on the Brock Badgers on home court at the Waterloo Athletic Complex Gym once winter term resumes on January 13, 2016. The Badgers sit at the top of the OUA Central Division with a 5-1 record.
Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.
Source: Laurier Golden Hawks
Gaels edge Warriors in 2015 finale
The Waterloo Warriors twice narrowed the gap to just two points over the final minutes, but could not get a stop at the other end and fell to the visiting Queen's Gaels 86-81 on Saturday night at the PAC. For the second straight night Mike Pereira (Kitchener) led the team with a double-double, scoring 22 points and pulling in 16 rebounds.
The Warriors and Gaels traded leads and a tie game a few times over the opening period until Queen's emerged with a 20-19 lead after the first quarter. Although Waterloo would keep it close over the rest of the game, they never did take the lead again.
The third quarter in particular saw the two teams trade baskets for most of the period until a late flurry for Waterloo brought the game to 61-58 with 10 minutes remaining. Dylan Phillips (Hamilton) hit two threes in the final 30 seconds, but Queen's hit their free throws at the other end.
Pereira's 22 points led the Warriors, with Dylan Phillips (Hamilton) adding 17 points and Jon Ravenhorst (Sarnia) hitting for 14. Sukhpreet Singh led all Queen's scorers with 33 points and also adding 10 rebounds. Andrew Mavety and Ryall Stroud had 12 points each. Waterloo again won the rebounding battle, taking a 37-32 edge in rebounds.
Waterloo ends the fall semester portion of the schedule with a 1-6 record in OUA play. They now take a break for exams and holidays and return to action Wednesday, January 13 when they host McMaster.
Source: Waterloo Warriors
The no. 1 ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees took an 88-57 win over the no. 6 ranked Western Mustangs in Ottawa on Saturday night, closing out the fall portion of the OUA regular season with a sparking 7-0 record. It was another big defensive performance in combination with a big night from Mehdi Tihani which put the Gee-Gees in control of their first Top Ten matchup of the regular season.
Tihani, a fourth-year guard, started the game at shooting guard and proceeded to shoot 6-8 from long range and finished the game with a game-high 20 points. His six treys broke his previous regular season career high of three, which he had accomplished on four occasions.
"He's a phenomenal shooter, but he's also an unselfish guy," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin, "So sometimes he decides he's not going to shoot. Tonight he was great at both ends of the floor."
For Western, Peter Scholtes was the high scorer with 18 points along with 8 rebounds, while fellow fifth-year Greg Morrow added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Ottawa had five players in double-digit scoring, including fourth-year Caleb Agada's fifth double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Post Brody Maracle scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, his highest total of the regular season.
A corner three by Vikas Gill and a steal which Tihani took coast to coast put Ottawa ahead 21-18 after the home side trailed 16-14 heading into the second quarter. Tihani was a big factor early for the Gee-Gees, guarding Greg Morrow at one end and scoring 14 points in the first half.
Brandon Robinson made an impact play midway through the third, sprinting back to recover and block a runaway layup attempt by Eric McDonald. Brody Maracle made it count at the other end, muscling his way through two defenders for an inside score which re-established a 50-34 lead.
The Mustangs stayed within striking distance until the fourth quarter, aided by 25 trips to the foul line. Ottawa opened the fourth on a 5-0 run, which included a soaring block from Agada. That set the garnet and grey up to control the final frame and at the midway mark Western had managed just two points. Ottawa continued to look for Tihani, who sank two more treys.
"By three or by thirty, this is a huge win," added Derouin. "They were physical with us in the third but we responded by going back into the post."
The Gee-Gees will compete in the Rouge et Or Holiday Tournament, December 28-30 in Quebec City, facing Laval, UNB, and Calgary before returning to OUA competition on January 16 at no. 2 ranked Carleton.
Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees
Ravens prey on Lancers in collective onslaught
(OTTAWA, ON) — Carleton continued its excellent start to the 2015-16 season with a first round knock out of Windsor in the Ravens' final game before the OUA's annual holiday schedule break.
The Ravens rode a tidal wave of momentum to victory after burying 63 points in the game's first half on their way to a 99-52 victory. Carleton's substantial 47-point margin of victory is the largest over the Lancers in the history of Carleton-Windsor matchup in a Ravens win.
Ravens player of the game, Kaza Kajami-Keane (Ajax, ON), led the team in assists for the seventh consecutive game, as the fourth-year transfer from Cleveland State (NCAA) has made an immediate impact on the Carleton transition game since his arrival. His game-high 6 assists, along with 4 rebounds and 19 points, sparked the Ravens to their up-tempo start as Kajami-Keane left his mark on the contest right from the early stages of the game.
"My whole life I've been a passer first. My sisters were pretty good when we were growing up, so I would dish it off to them and rebound their shots as well," said a nostalgic Kaza Kajami-Keane when asked about his pass-first menality. "I've been passing the ball from a young age."
"I love it here," added the versatile combo guard. "I am learning everyday and that's what I am excited to do."
Carleton exploded for 33 points in the opening quarter as they limited Windsor to only 10 points in ten minutes of play. Six Ravens players made their way onto the score sheet early on and the team's easy access to the basket continued into the second quarter as Carleton tacked on another 30 points to increase the lead to 37 at halftime. The Ravens buried six treys in the second as the offensive engine was churning at full power.
Ravens guard Connor Wood (Guelph, ON) buried back-to-back threes in the third as part of his 14 points on the evening. Carleton suppressed the Lancers offense by limiting them to only 9 points in the quarter.
Carleton dominated on the boards as well, as they doubled Windsor's total by grabbing 56 rebounds compared to just 23 for the Lancers. Ryan Ejim (Toronto, ON) pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, while also contributing 10 points on offence. Eight Ravens players had four or more rebounds in the game to contribute to their second-largest rebounding total of the season, just behind the 61 they collected in the opening game against Laurentian.
"I just want to get better and the team has the same mentality right now – we're not focusing on winning right now," said Kajami-Keane. "We want to focus on getting better. You don't win championships in November, you just try to get better."
Ravens forward Guillaume Payen Boucard (Montreal, QC) registered a season-high 19 points and added 4 assists for good measure.
Carleton will now have over a month to prepare for their next OUA regular season game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The matchup will be a highly-anticipated bout between the top-two ranked CIS men's basketball teams in the country.
Source: Carleton Ravens
